My surprise over the past few winters has been the personality transformation my parents go through around mid-December as they change from Dad and Mom into Grandpa and Grandma. Yes, they become grandparents and are completely different from the people I know the other eleven and a half months of the year.

    The first sign of my parents' change is the delight they take in visiting toy and children's clothing stores. These two people, who usually dislike anything having to do with shopping malls, become crazy consumers. While they tell me to budget my money and shop wisely, they are buying up every doll and dump truck in sight. And this is on/y the beginning of the holidays!

    When my brother's children arrive, Grandpa and Grandma come into full form.First they throw out all ideas about a balanced diet for the grandkids. While we were raised in a house where everyone had to take two bites of corn, beets C ant~, or liver(foods that appeared quite often on our table despite constant complaining), the grandchildren never have to eat anything that does not appeal to them. Grandma carries chocolate in her pockets to bribe (賄賂) the littlest ones into following her around the house. While Grandpa offers "surprises" of candy and cake to them all day long. Boxes of chocolate-pie disappear while the whole-wheat bread gets hard and stale. The kids love all the sweets, and when the sugar raises their energy levels, Grandma and Grandpa can always decide to leave and do a bit more shopping or go to bed while my brother and sister-in-law try to deal with their highly active kids.

    Once the grandchildren have arrived, Grandma and Grandpa also seem to forget all of the responsibility lectures I so often hear in my daily life. If Mickey screams at his sister during dinner. He is “developing his own personality”;. If Nancy breaks Grandma’s mirror, she is “just a curious child”. But, if I track mud into the house while helping to unload groceries, I become “careless”; if I scold one of the grandkids for tearing pages out of my textbook, I am impatient”. . If Paula talks back to her mother, Grandma and Grandpa simile at her spirit. If I say on e word about all of this excessive love, Mom and Dad reappear to have a talk with me about petty jealousies.

    passage1譯文與重點詞匯   

    過去幾年，我一直感到驚奇( surprise: amazement，astonishment. shock)的是我父母所經歷的個性( personality: character，identity)轉變(transformation: change，shift)， 當時大約是12月中旬，他們由父母變成(change: become)了祖父母。是的，他們成了祖父母后，就與之前11個半月我所熟悉的父母完全不同( different: distinct)了。

[FS:PAGE]    我父母發生變化的第一個跡象( sign：mark, token)就是他們存游覽(visit: sightsee)玩具與兒童服飾( clothing: garment)店(store: shop)時所表現出來的喜悅(delight: joy. pleasure)。這兩個通常討厭(dislike: hate)任何與購物(shop: buy, purchase)商場(mall: department store)有關東兩的人，現在卻變成了瘋狂的(crazy: frantic, mad)消費者( consumer: buyer，shopper)。雖然他們叮囑我要明智地(wisely. brightly，smartly)安排(budget: arrange. organize. schedule)自己的開支與購物，但是他們自己卻買下了見到的(in sight: in view. in vision)所有玩偶(doll)和自卸玩具卡車。并日.這還只足假期( holiday: vacation)的開始(beginning: start)!

    我兄弟的孩子來( arrive: reach)玩時，爺爺和奶奶就會精神百倍(come into full form: energetic)。首先，他們會拋棄(throw out: get rid of，give up)所有對孫子有益的均衡( balance)飲食(diet: food)觀念(idea: concept. opinion. thought)。然而，在我們被撫養( raise: feed，foster. rear)成人時，我們每個人只能吃-兩口玉米、甜菜或是豬肝(盡管我們時常( constant: continuous，regular)抱怨(complain: moan)，但是這些食物經常出現( appear: emerge，occur，present)在飯桌上，但是，這些孫子們卻從來不必吃( eat: have. take)那些對他們沒有吸引力(appeal: attraction. charm)的東西。奶奶的口袋里裝著巧克力，為的是吸引( bribe: attract)最小的孫子跟著(follow: pursue)她滿屋子跑，而爺爺則整天用糖果和蛋糕給孫子們帶來(offer: bring, provide, supply)“驚喜”。一盒盒的巧克力餅干被吃光了(disappear：eat up，vanish),而純麥面包卻變硬( hard: crisp，firm. rigid)、變質(stale)了。孩子們喜歡所有糖果(sweet: sugar)，并且，在糖果(sugar: sweet)增強(raise：enhance，reinforce, strengthen)了孩子們的活力( energy: force. power)時，爺爺和奶奶通常可以決定(decide：choose, determine)離開，去買更多的東西回來，或是上床休息，而我的兄弟和嫂子就要盡力照料( deal with: look after)他們亢奮的(active：energetic，vigorous)孩子。

    一旦孫子們來了，爺爺和奶奶也似平(seem: appear. Look)忘記(forget：disremember)了所有我每天(daily: everyday)經常聽劍的職責( responsibility：duty, obligation)訓誡(lecture: discipline)。如果米奇在吃飯(dinner: meal)時對他的妹妹喊叫( scream：cry，shout, yell)，他就被認為是在“培養(develop：grow)他自己的個性”; 如果南希打破了奶奶的鏡子( mirror)，她就被認為“只是一個好奇的(curious)孩子”。但是，在我卸( unload: unburden)雜貨(grocery)時，如果我把泥土(mud: clay. dirt)帶進(track: leave)屋子，就會被認為是“租心大意(careless: reckless)”;

    如果我因為其中的一個孫子撕(tear: rip)了我課奉的幾頁紙而訓斥(scold：blame. criticize，reproach)他，就會被認為“沒有耐性(impatient: anxious. intolerant)”。如果保拉與她媽媽頂嘴( talk hack)，爺爺和奶奶就會笑著(Smile)稱贊她的勇氣(spirit：courage)。如果我對這種溺(excessive: extreme, unreasonable)愛友半句微詞，我的父母就會再次和我談論我的小小嫉妒(jealousy: envy)之心。